Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged to the Centre to declare the birth anniversaries of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as national holidays.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee demanded that January 12 and January 23 should be considered as national holidays.

She took to Twitter saying, "Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose are national and international icons. I have written a letter to the PM urging the GOI to declare both their birthdays (Jan 12 and Jan 23) national holidays."

Born on January 12, 1863, Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk. His birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Youth Day in India.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897. A freedom fighter Netaji is known for his heroic nature and patriotism.